Page 41 of Pirate

Bulldog’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me, the guy’s on his way here.”

Steel nodded. “According to Viktor, he tried to tell him that one of us would call to reschedule but the guy just told Viktor not to bother and he’d come see us now. Then he drove off.”

Pirate snorted. He barely knew Fletcher and yet knew this sounded exactly like something he would do.

Steel turned to Pirate. “What is it that you wanted to talk to us about prior to our meeting?”

He understood now why Steel had called him outside. Pirate wasn’t an officer. With Lucky out of commission, if Steel was going by hierarchy then Jumper was next under Bulldog as the club’s Secretary. But Steel hadn’t needed another officer. He needed the knowledge Pirate had on the man on his way over to the hospital, not caring in the slightest that this was a family matter or how inappropriate it was to come here.

“Pretty sure nothing you haven’t already deduced from the conversation he just had with Viktor. I met him yesterday at Sophia’s mom’s house. Apparently, his family and Sophia’s areclose, the two grew up together. His name is Fletcher Montague. Complete douche.”

“Does he have history with Sophia?” Bulldog asked.

Pirate shifted back slightly. “They were friends as kids. Him, Sophia, Jazz, and Carlos, but he had a falling out with the other two around middle school.”

Bulldog’s face scrunched as if he was trying to remember. “I vaguely remember a little scrawny kid hanging out with the three of them but not his name or what happened to him.”

“Sophia said he got popular and basically ditched them. Then in high school, Sophia and he dated for a time but he cheated on her.” Pirate figured that was close enough to the truth. What else happened was no one’s business but Sophia’s.

“What do you know about his military history?” Steel asked.

Pirate shook his head. “Just that he served. Sophia hinted that his dad pulled strings to keep him stateside and behind a desk.”

“Based on your meeting with him yesterday, would you vote him into the club?”

Pirate was about to answer Steel’s question, but the roar of an expensive engine caught his notice. The three men turned to face the parking lot. The clubhouse was over twenty-five minutes away from the hospital. The guy must have broken as many laws as Lucky had to get here so quickly.

Pirate crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll let you meet him,” he told his President, “and then you can figure out for yourself what my vote would be.”

The sleek Tomahawktook the corner into the hospital’s parking lot so fast that the rider’s knee just barely missed scraping theground. The white and red track riding suit from the day before had been replaced with an all-black one. As the bike weaved its way unnecessarily through the cages parked throughout the parking lot, he started to pick up speed. Like a stuntman for a Hollywood movie, the rider jumped his bike over the median before the main drag that led to the hospital’s entrance. Just when it looked like he was going to crash into the sidewalk where Steel, Bulldog, and Pirate stood, the driver slid to the side, braking so hard that his tires smoked.

The bike skidded to a halt at the edge of the sidewalk, leaving black track marks on the asphalt.

Steel, Bulldog, and Pirate waited in silence as the rider turned off the engine and hopped—literally, hopped like a fucking bunny—off his seat. Removing his helmet with a swift pull, Fletcher Montague smiled broadly at his audience as if waiting for an applause or words of praise. He put his helmet on his seat since the bike had no saddlebags.

Then he walked towards them, leaving his bike parked in the No Parking fire lane.

“You Steel?” Fletcher called out.

Steel and Bulldog were wearing their cuts. Pirate wasn’t because he hadn’t had a chance to get it from his hog before Scotty and Harper had come to his attention. It was still in his saddlebag. He was also dressed in khakis and a green polo with the high school’s logo on the left breast. There was nothing about him at the present that identified him asVia Daemonia, but that didn’t make him any less of a patched member.

Steel said nothing, allowing Fletcher to close the distance between them. When Fletcher held out his hand to Steel, Steel made no move to grab it. His face was an emotionless mask, which Fletcher seemed to be slowly realizing.

Still holding out his hand in offering, Fletcher said with a little shake in his voice, “I’m Fletcher Montague, but you can callme ‘Romeo’.” A smile that could only be called flirty appeared on his lips. “Everyone in my old unit did. I have an irresistible charm with the ladies. No woman can say ‘no’ to me.”

The idiot actuallywinkedat Steel. Fucking winked!

Steel remained where he was, still as a statue with his arms crossed over his muscular chest. The only part of him that moved was his salt and pepper hair in the afternoon breeze.

Fletcher slowly lowered his hand, the smile he’d worn falling. “Um, we had a meeting scheduled. I’m your new prospect. The guy at your gate wouldn’t let me in no matter how many times I told him I was there to seeyou. Once I figured out you were at the hospital, I figured I’d come here to join you guys.”

Bulldog let out a snort. Pirate was actually fighting back a chuckle as Steel’s unwavering silence was starting to make Fletcher squirm. Had it occurred to the moronat allthat it was not okay to just show up at the hospital uninvited? And that ridiculous entrance? Who was he trying to impress—Evel Knievel?

“So I, uh, I thought I’d see if there’s anything I can do to help. The guy at your gate wouldn’t tell me why you’re here, but my dad’s a huge donor of this hospital. I’m sure I can get you guys better care or answers.”

Still, Steel just stood there. Pirate actually wished he had a camera so he could show the others how Steel made Fletcher squirm without saying a damn word. Priceless.

“I’ll, um, I’ll go see what I can find out.” He pointed towards the entrance behind the club members and to the left.

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